The Federation of Farmers’ Associations of Karnataka, led by Kurubur Shanthakumar, has opposed any move to withdraw the anti-cattle slaughter law prevailing in the State.
Briefing reporters after launching a campaign to save cows in Mysuru on Tuesday, Mr. Shanthakumar took serious exception to Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture K. Venkatesh’s statement raising questions over the absence of provision for slaughter of aged cows when such a permission existed for buffaloes aged above 13 years.
Mr. Shanthakumar said cows were an integral part of a farmers’ life and they were revered by the farmers of the country for ages. The country’s culture does not permit the slaughter of cows, he said.
He said various farmers’ organisations are scheduled to hold a meeting in Bengaluru on June 28 to discuss the pros and cons of the existing anti-cattle slaughter law in the State.
However, he said the federation was in favour of certain modifications in the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020. “We only want certain amendments to the anti-farmer provisions in the Act,” he said.
Man-animal conflict
With regard to the man-animal conflict including the attack by wild animals on humans living in the areas bordering the forests, Mr. Shanthakumar said wild animals were straying into human habitation outside forest areas on account of the mushrooming of resorts and increase in mining activities in forest areas.
If the government does not wake up to the grave threat, Mr. Shanthakumar said they will have no option, but to close down the Forest Department offices in the jungles.
The federation also criticized the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the Centre recently for various agriculture products and said the amount announced by the Union Government was too less.
Protest organised
Meanwhile, the members of Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association led by Mr. Shanthakumar held a demonstration in front of SBI in Saraswathipuram in Mysuru on Tuesday protesting against the alleged harassment of farmers by bank officials.
The protesting farmers alleged that the managers of the bank were repeatedly issuing notices to farmers and harassing them. The office-bearers of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar units of Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association and members of Raitha Mithra Farmers’ Producer Company were part of the protest.
